Outboard and inboard propulsion means for watercraft



- March 16, 1965 J. H. v. BEARD OUTBOARD AND INBOARD PROPULSION MEANS FOR WATERCRAFT Filed Aug. '7, 1962 INVENTOR JOHN l-l.V. BEARD BY Vlo.sowImun&%amm

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,173,397 OUTBOARD AND INBOARD PROPULSION MEANS FOR WATERCRAFT John Henry VincentBeard, Northwood, Buckfast, South Devon, England Filed Aug. 7, 1962, Ser. No. 215,420 4 Claims. (Cl. 11535) The present invention relates to outboard and inboard motors for watercraft and has for its primary object the provision of means which will enable the propeller driven by the motor to operate effectively in shallow water where normally, with known arrangements, this would not be possible.

Broadly, according to the present invention there is provided an outboard or inboard motor for watercraft having an output shaft disposed in a substantially vertical plane and a propeller fitted to rotate at the lower end of said shaft in a substantially horizontal plane, and a cowl or deflector fitted over the propeller which acts to deflect the flow of water created by the propeller through an angle of approximately 90 to effect propulsion of the craft.

Said cowl may be fixedly secured in position when connected to either an outboard or inboard motor but it may alternatively be adjustably secured in position so that it can swivel with respect to the propeller and deflect the water flow in different dierctions to effect forward or reverse movement. Alternatively, the cowl can be caused to assume a neutral or ineffective position.

To enable the invention to be clearly understood embodiments thereof will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings. With all embodiments the output or driving shaft of the motor is vertical or substantially vertically disposed and the propeller is secured to the lower end thereof so as to rotate in a substantially horizontal plane. In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a view illustrating a first embodiment employing a fixed cowl in conjunction with an inboard motor showing a portion of the boat in section.

FIGURE 2 is a view illustrating a fixed cowl associated with an outboard motor and,

FIGURE 3 is a rear elevation of another embodiment of the invention in which the cowl is adjustable so as to assume various positions to provide varying propulsion.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical section of the cowl assembly taken along lines 44 of FIGURE 3 showing the position for forward propulsion.

FIGURE 5 is a vertical section view similar to that of FIGURE 4, however, showing the cowl pivoted in such a manner to provide reverse propulsion.

FIGURE 6 is a vertical section view of the cowl pivoted in such a manner to provide neutral propulsion, or more specifically, no propulsion.

Referring firstly to FIGURES l and 2 of the drawings which illustrate respectively the invention as applied to either an inboard or an outboard motor the propeller 1 is housed in a cowl or deflector 2 which is substantially U-shape in cross section to provide a tunnel in which the propeller operates. The forward end 3 of this tunnel 2 is closed and the rear end 4 open so that water is drawn up through the downwardly directed open mouth 5 of the tunnel and is deflected by its forward closed wall 3 so that the flow is directed rearwardly and effects a thrust for propelling the boat in a forward direction. The cowl 2 may be held in position in any suitable manner, e.g. by a tubular housing 7 for the shaft.

According to the second embodiment illustrated by FIGURES 3 to 5, which has been illustrated as applied to an outboard motor but which can also be applied to an inboard motor, the cowl comprises a deflector 8 which Patented Mar. 16, 1965 curves through approximately and the cowl is supported in any suitable manner, e.g. by a tubular housing 7 for the propeller shaft so that it can swivel at 9 in its plane of curvature. The cowl 8 has, in the preferred embodiment, a cross-sectional shape in its longitudinal direction which appears to be of a wedge configuration. The entire deflecting cowl 8 is of one piece design having a mouth permanently opening downward and swivels only in a plane, parallel to the plane of the propeller shaft and is pivoted to the shaft about a pivot point which is transverse to both the shaft and the plane of swivel. Thus the cowl 8 can be swung downwardly either in front of or behind the propeller (FIGURES 3 and 5) to effect forward or reverse travel of the craft, or alternatively, it can be swung into an intermediate or neutral position as illustrated by FIGURE 4 in which it is disposed over the propeller 1. Any suitable means may be provided for swinging the cowl 8 e.g. a pull and push link 10 connected to the cowl at one side of its pivot 9.

In addition to permitting the propeller 1 to operate effectively in shallow water the invention also has the advantage that the cowl 2 or 8 constitutes a guard for the propeller so that a boat can be brought right up on to a beach without damage to the propeller and the propeller cannot inflict injury to nearby bathers.

A still further advantage of the invention is that due to its extreme simplicity it is simple and easy to make and can be mass produced in an inexpensive manner.

I claim:

1. An outboard or inboard motor for watercraft comprising an output shaft disposed in a vertical plane, a propeller fitted to the lower end of said shaft to rotate in a horizontal plane, and an arcuately shaped cowl curving through approximately 90 supported to swivel in its plane of curvature parallel to the plane of the propeller shaft and being pivoted to the shaft about a pivot point which is transverse to the shaft and plane of swivel so that it can be swung from a neutral position to either in front of or behind the propeller to effect forward or reverse travel of the craft.

2. A watercraft fitted with an outboard or inboard motor comprising an output shaft disposed in a vertical plane, a propeller fitted to the lower end of said shaft to rotate in a horizontal plane, and an arcuately shaped cowl curving through approximately 90 supported to swivel in its plane of curvature parallel to the plane of the propeller shaft and being pivoted to the shaft about a pivot point which is transverse to the shaft and plane of swivel so that it can be swung either in front of or behind the propeller to effect forward or reverse travel of the craft.

3. An outboard or inboard motor for watercraft comprising, a power output shaft having a vertical axis with respect to the keel of said watercraft, a propeller mounted upon the lower portion of said output shaft and adapted to rotate in a horizontal plane with respect to the keel of said watercraft, a propulsion fluid directing means mounted upon said output shaft, said directing means having a cross-sectional shape of a wedge in its longitudinal direction, said entire directing means being of a one piece design having its entire bottom open and fixed to be completely and permanently open vertically downward, the directing means mounted for swiveling only in a plane parallel to the plane of the propeller shaft and is pivoted to the shaft about a pivot point which is transverse to both the shaft and the plane of swivel whereby a portion of the directing means upon being positioned downwardly will effect intake of the propulsion fluid and another portion of the directing means will effect discharge of the fluid to propel the watercraft.

4. A watercraft fitted with an outboard or inboard motor comprising a power output shaft having a vertical axis with respect to the keel of said watercraft, a propeller mounted upon the lower portion of said output shaft and adapted to rotate in a horizontal plane with respect to the keel of said watercraft, a propulsion fluid directing means mounted upon said output shaft, said directing means having a cross-sectional shape of a wedge in its longitudinal direction, said entire directing means being of a one'piece design having its entire bot-tom open and fixed to be completely and permanently open vertically downward, the directing means mounted for swiveling only in a plane parallel to the plane of the propeller shaft and is pivoted to the shaft about a pivot point which is transverse to both the shaft and the plane of swivel Wher References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 904,313 11/08 Davis 1-l5--42 2,584,766 2/52 Warner 11542 3,098,464 7/63 Holland 11512 X FERGUS S. MIDDLETON, Primary Examiner.

MILTON BUCHLER, Examiner. 

1. AN OUTBOARD OR INBOARD MOTOR FOR WATERCRAFT COMPRISING AN OUTPUT SHAFT DISPOSED IN A VERTICAL PLANE, A PROPELLER FITTED TO THE LOWER END OF SAID SHAFT TO ROTATE IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE, AND A ARCUATELY SHAPED COWL CURVING THROUGH APPAROXIMATELY 90* SUPPORTED TO SWIVEL IN ITS PLANE OF CURVATURE PARALLEL TO THE PLANE OF THE PROPELLER SHAFT AND BEING PIVOTED TO THE SHAFT ABOUT A PIVOT POINT WHICH IS TRANSVERSE TO THE SHAFT AND PLANE OF SWIVEL SO THAT IT CAN BE SWUNG FROM A NEUTRAL POSITION TO EITHER IN FRONT OF OR BEHIND THE PROPELLER TO EFFECT FORWARD OR REVERSE TRAVEL OF THE CRAFT. 